I think the super popular health and wellness TV show "Aru Aru Daijiten" will be over. Natto disappeared from super markets after the show aired the effects of DHEA included in natto. Even foreign media picked the topic as "It's smelly, slimy and Japan can't get enough". But on 20th, we got this news. they used data from a DHEA study and experimental results of DHEA diet effects from U.S. colleges. But the TV show used extraneous dieter pictures. The show introduced the comments of a professor of Temple College, but he did not talk about Natto. However in Japanese subtitles, they wrote as if he recommended natto as a rich DHEA food, etc. Here is another article too.
Last night, they aired an apology and explained which parts were false. Here is the video which someone put up on YouTube. Maybe it is true that DHEA and natto work for diet, but it will be impossible to get viewers・trust anymore. This morning I read Natto makers had canceled for over ordering already, the share price of natto makers was down today in Nikkei and the sole sponsor KAO quit sponsorship of the show today.
I don't know what my friend will do with the mountain of refrigerated natto she bought up. Aru - Aru was a sensation and the show contributed to promoting health consciousness. But the show will be over.
Hi Martin
The show is over and everyday we have to read their old lies. Crazy.
Posted by: Mari | Thursday, February 01, 2007 at 12:36 PM
I'm glad Kao cancelled their sponsorship of this show. Actually, TV must be much more careful about food reporting in Japan. So many talents are being paid to say "delishious!" while eating the food that some company is promoting.
I like the Japanese food shows, they are fun to watch, but media has to be more responsible.
And natto is still stinky, and still healthy, and I still cannot get used to it...
Posted by: Martin F | Tuesday, January 23, 2007 at 11:21 PM